I Am The DJ, I Am What I Play

Houston's major market classic rock station in the late 80s and early 90s was KZFX, 107.5 on the FM dial. Program Director Dan Michaels hosted their three-hour Sunday morning "Breakfast With the Beatles" program, which had segments devoted to interviews, news, trivia, and the like. The main feature, of course, was the massive Beatles music catalog, to help listeners get started on their day.

Being an obsessed Beatles fan, I felt the program could use some tightening up. (Cheeky!) I wasn't a radio programmer, but I knew a little about the Beatles, and I was just determined enough to try to contribute whatever I could.

With all the hutzpah in the world, I took it upon myself to write letters to Michaels, with my own suggestions! Eventually, I began sending him tapes of unreleased bootleg recordings for the "From The Vault" feature, my particular favorite, as well as news. After a few months of correspondence, Dan called me with an invitation to join him at one of the station's remote appearances at a Houston club, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Fab Four's arrival in America.

In the midst of mingling with radio listeners at the party, Dan asked me to come down to the radio station and be a guest on his show. What you'll hear below are a few short segments of me blabbering on, all nervous and geeky, in my first on-air appearance. From that point on, and for most of 1994, I worked in my dream job as an intern at KZFX, writing, producing (in Production Studio B!), and occasionally co-hosting Houston's very best Beatles program.

As is common in radio, the station changed formats on October 31st of that year. And yes, I did keep my day job, but boy, that was a lot of fun.